LAHORE, Nov 30: Pakistan State Oil CEO Tariq Kirmani on Tuesday said "no company could succeed (in the market) without focussing its efforts on human resource development" as it was the people who make the difference.

Speaking at the 8th AMDISA South Asian Management Forum (SAMF) at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), he said the turnaround at PSO was not brought about by technique.

It was the implementation (of the technique) that made the difference, he added. Mr Kirmani began his keynote speech by discussing the critical challenges that companies face due to aggressive competition.

These challenges, in the case of PSO, were linked with strategic human resource management, inculcating a culture of openness and communication, brand building, financial stability and elimination of corruption especially in the wake of the recently acquired managerial autonomy, he said.

He highlighted the significance of sustainability of a change programme that comes through leadership, streamlining of processes and empowering people. Later, Manzurul Haq, a trustee of the LUMS, emphasized the importance of consistency and leadership in any change programme.

The session was followed by paper presentations and panel discussions by leading business practitioners and acclaimed academics from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan on topics like NGOs and social development in South Asia, e-commerce practices and managing technology in the developing world, deregulation and privatization, managing supply chain for competitive advantage and quality assurance in higher education.